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Ear Bonnet--Royal Blue with Kelly Green

I am looking for an ear bonnet for DH's new horse for Christmas. I have been looking and looking and looking on line and cannot find one in the colors I need. Royal bue, not navy. And trim along the edge in Kelly green, not hunter or dark green.

While I really don't want to spend $100+ if I don't have to....I also don't want have to learn to crochet

I know it is last minute at this point but I really have been looking. And COTHer's are awsome and ALWAYS come thru, so... HELP

I have a question. A silly question. Do ear bonnets serve a function? I swear, I cannot tell a difference between how my horses go with versus without an ear bonnet. They are so popular now, even when it is cold and there are no flies around.

Toby does NOT like flies around his ears. Big time. Since his skin is so sensitive, I can typically not use fly spray, or use the useless "natural" stuff I buy as long as he has a hat on. Without a hat, and the whole ride is all about head shaking and being extremely grumpy.

He also isn't a huge fan of wind or rain in his ears, so a hat will help with that, even on cold days.

I'm puzzled by the popularity of bonnets too. They are so unflattering to the horse and distract from its inherent elegance; unless the bonnets relieve the horse of some trauma, like yellowbritches's Toby, why use them?

Andrea's Bonnets: 352 789 4206. I met her at dressage regionals and she makes BEAUTIFUL bonnets out of the nicest yarn. (She had made some for prizes, and when I saw them on the table, I liked them so much that I went to the show office and hunted her down.) Pretty sure she can do any color you want and her bonnets run about $65.

FWIW, my horse doesn't need one most of the time, but it's something I'd love to have around for when the little gnats and such are bugging him. And if I get one, I may as well just spend a little bit of extra money and get one that I really like!

It sounds like they are useful for some horses in different situations. So it sounds like they're a good thing. The irony is that they are not allowed in dressage tests until you are at FEI.

I have a hunch that they will go the way of helmet poms poms in another decade or so. Although I totally understand how they work for some horses. I put "Swat" inside my horses' ears when the knats and flies are bad. (not the pink stuff, LOL).

Being the non-conformist that I am, I have not purchased an ear bonnet for show. But I was the same about bling on bridles. I hated bling at first and gradually, being almost human, I decided that I liked bling and now have a couple of fancy browbands.

I also LOVE Mick's little pony ears on a 16.1 hand body, along with the pony forelock. I'd hate to detract from what I see as uber-cuteness!

I looked hard for a royal blue bonnet last winter and eventually ended up getting a custom one for my fly hating prince from Faibel Farms ( http://www.faibelfarms.ca/Faibel_Farms/Home.html ). She had to hunt down royal blue ear material, but the end result was very nice. It ended up being around $90, but I was quoted around $150 at other places, so I am very happy.

I'm with ahbaumgartner and jane in my puzzlement over this most recent "must have it to fit in" fad (and those were my thumbs up.)

IMO, it's simply a fashion item of apparel that is now "in vogue", and does not flatter most horses.

That said, for the horses who actually *need* them, they are a great invention!

It drives me nuts to see horses wearing them that don't actually *need* them, only for yet another sponsor logo placement. There's a girl at my [old] barn that would use one on her horse even though he had no need for it. My favorite was when she had it on him during an hour long lesson in 90+ degree heat. No wonder why he didn't want to behave... Silly teenagers.

Thanks everybody. Lots of good places. I had never heard of Etsy. Looks like I need to check it out more!
FWIW, DH's horse is a driving horse, not an event horse. No logo or promo stuff on the bonnet. Just for practical reasons but he would like one in "his colors" from when he used to event, and for when/if they do any combined driving events.

Thanks everybody. Lots of good places. I had never heard of Etsy. Looks like I need to check it out more!
FWIW, DH's horse is a driving horse, not an event horse. No logo or promo stuff on the bonnet. Just for practical reasons but he would like one in "his colors" from when he used to event, and for when/if they do any combined driving events.

You can try De La Cour. They have a Facebook page and a website. Not cheap but not bad either. They are very nice. They ship a lot to US too.